Susan Rice Gets Warm Reception at AIPAC

Delegates Ignore Calls To Boycott NSA Chief Speech

A nuclear deal with Iran must include access to its nuclear facilities even after the expiry of restrictions, which would last at least ten years, Susan Rice, the U.S. national security adviser, told AIPAC.

Rice, addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Monday, the second day of its annual conference, said expectations that Iran would cease uranium enrichment altogether or that restrictions would be in place indefinitely, were unrealistic.

But she added that intrusive inspections would continue indefinitely.

“At the end of any deal, Iran would still be required to offer comprehensive access to its nuclear facilities and to provide the international community the assurance that it was not pursuing nuclear weapons,” she said.

Insisting on no enrichment would collapse the alliance the Obama administration has built to sanction and isolate Iran, factors which led Iran to agree to nuclear negotiations, Rice said.

“Let’s remember that sanctions have never stopped Iran from advancing its program,” she said.

Without a deal, Rice said, Iran would return to enrichment levels it achieved before the terms governing nuclear talks with the major powers imposed restrictions, and seek to expand its nuclear capability.

“And, we’ll lose the unprecedented inspections and transparency we have today,” she said.

Rice also addressed concerns about reports that any deal restricting Iranian nuclear activities would expire after 10-15 years.

“I know that some question a deal of any duration,” she said. “But, it has always been clear that the pursuit of an agreement of indefinite duration would result in no agreement at all.”

Restrictions would be in place at least for ten years, she said.

“A deal that extends for a decade or more would accomplish this goal better than any other course of action – longer, by far, than military strikes, which would only set back Iran’s program for a fraction of the time,” she said.

The AIPAC activists received Rice warmly, ignoring calls from some right wing figures to stay away from her talk after she said last week that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned speech to Congress was “destructive” of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Netanyahu and the Republican congressional leadership infuriated the Obama administration by arranging the speech, which will take aim at the White House’s Iran policies, without consulting with the White House or congressional Democrats.

AIPAC favors legislation that would trigger new sanctions should Iran walk away from the talks and would subject any deal to congressional review. President Obama Obama has pledged to veto the legislation.

“Additional sanctions or restrictive legislation enacted during the negotiation would blow up the talks, divide the international community, and cause the United States to be blamed for the failure to reach a deal,’” Rice said.

She earned cheers for saying emphatically that Obama would consider “all options,” a euphemism for military action, should the talks fail.

However, activists also pointedly cheered whenever Rice described the views of skeptics of the talks in order to rebut them.

“I know that some argue we should just impose sanctions and walk away” if the talks collapse, was one such unintended applause line. “I know that some of you will be urging Congress to insist that Iran forego its domestic enrichment capacity entirely” was another.

As we mark the 70th anniversaries of the liberation of Nazi death and concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, let us not forget that the atrocities committed in these places were fueled by vicious incitement in the pages of Der Stürmer and similar publications. The “Eternal Jew” video belongs in the same category. Those responsible for disseminating this ignominy must be held accountable.

Israeli Settlers Use Nazi Imagery Against Jews

A hideous video titled “The Eternal Jew” was posted on YouTube this weekend, and, as of this writing, has been viewed almost 100,000 times. The video, created by the Samaria Citizens Committee, a far-right settler group in Israel, is an obscene, crudely anti-Semitic defamation straight out of the Nazi Jew-baiter-in-chief Julius Streicher’s notorious pornographic tabloid,Der Stürmer.

Indeed, a Stürmer-like caricature of a Jew—long-nosed, groveling, and money-grubbing—appears in the video as the obedient acolyte/agent of one “Herr Stürmer,” who pays his employee to engage in anti-Israel acts. The video ends with the image of the Jewish traitor—for that is how the Jew in the clip is depicted—hanged alongside the logos of Peace Now, B’Tselem, and other Israeli groups committed to Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and interaction and an Arab-Israeli peace process. “The Europeans may seem different to you,” a deep voice intones, “but to them you are exactly the same.” In other words, the twisted masterminds behind this abomination are accusing dovish Israeli groups and like-minded Jews of being in the employ of European anti-Semites, and not-so-subtly implying that members of these groups deserve to die.

The Samaria Citizens Committee is taking its lead from a 1940 film produced and disseminated by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels called—wait for it—“Der ewige Jude,” that is, “The Eternal Jew,” which characterized Jews as “abnormal and depraved.” British filmmaker and historian Laurence Rees has described that original incarnation as “the most appalling film ever made” and “a disgusting and crude piece of work that demonstrates the Nazis’ anti-Semitic beliefs at their most base.”

The new version of “The Eternal Jew” is just as abhorrent. For Jews—any Jews—to hurl Nazi-like calumnies at anyone, let alone at other Jews, constitutes a political, moral and intellectual perversion.

We routinely condemn anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi publications and other forms of propaganda and demand that the international community take action against these (something the Director General of UNESCO has done with respect to anti-Semitic posters that are part of a controversial Palestinian poster collection). It is now imperative that all Israelis, regardless of their political leanings, and all Diaspora Jewish groups similarly condemn the incendiary propagandists who conceived of and unleashed the “Eternal Jew” video.

We must not allow the video to be dismissed as mere rhetorical excess in the midst of a heated election campaign. Rather, it must be unambiguously denounced as a despicable example of the vilest bigotry. Remember the placards with doctored photographs of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in a Nazi uniform that appeared at anti-Oslo rallies in the days and weeks before Rabin’s assassination? The “Eternal Jew” video appears to have been created in precisely the same spirit.

Benny Katzover, the chairman of the Samaria Citizens Committee, doubled down in an ill-conceived attempt to defend and justify his organization’s nasty screed. Israeli and Jewish doves, he contended, “are upset because they do not like what they look like in the mirror.”

Nonsense. What infuriates and repulses us is to see Jews adopt and spew out the very same venomous arguments and imagery used by the Nazis to justify the brutal, systematic murder of six million Jews. The relevant question that needs to be posed to Katzover and his Samaria Citizens Committee is whether they have any shame whatsoever or, to borrow a phrase from another context, whether, at long last, they have left no sense of decency.

As we mark the 70th anniversaries of the liberation of Nazi death and concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, let us not forget that the atrocities committed in these places were fueled by vicious incitement in the pages of Der Stürmer and similar publications. The “Eternal Jew” video belongs in the same category. Those responsible for disseminating this ignominy must be held accountable.

Toilet and shower room in Greek Orthodox institution in Jerusalem set on fire, messages disparaging Jesus found on nearby walls; no injuries.

Don’t wait till they come for you!Speak out NOW!!

Christian seminary set alight in suspected hate crime

Toilet and shower room in Greek Orthodox institution in Jerusalem set on fire, messages disparaging Jesus found on nearby walls; no injuries.

fire broke out in a Greek Orthodox seminary for the study of Christianity next to Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem overnight Wednesday. An investigation into the incident revealed a deliberate arson attack was carried out. According to findings collected at the scene, the arsonists poured flammable liquid into the bathroom through a window, lit it, and fled.

Messages disparaging Jesus were found on the walls. Police are investigating the possibility of a hate crime. The messages included phrases such as “Jesus is a son of a b***h”, and “the Redemption of Zion”. Firefighters put out the blaze and no one was hurt. Police were called to the scene.

The police will examine whether there is a link between the torching of the Christian seminary in Jerusalem and the torchingof a Palestinian mosque in Jab’a, near Bethlehem in the West Bank on Wednesday. In both cases, the phrase “the Redemption of Zion” was scrawled on the walls.

The fire started shortly before 4am in a toilet and shower room inside the building. Three firefighting teams were called to the scene and quickly put out the fire, preventing it from spreading to the rest of the structure. The teams aired out the building and searched for trapped people, but did not spot any inside.

Two months ago, a 21-year-old Jewish man was arrested after he vandalized a cross at the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem. He was apprehended by a security guard and taken in for questioning.

In May last year, police launched an investigation after receiving reports that a prayer book was set on fire in an apparent arson attack at the Dormition Abbey, shortly Pope Francis visited the site during his visit to Israel. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said an eyewitness saw a man enter the Dormition Abbey and light candles before fleeing the scene. The suspect’s identity or motive was not immediately known.

France must treat online “anti-Semitism” like child pornography, president says

French President François Hollande says modern “anti-Semitism” stems from “hatred of Israel.” (Presidency of France)

French president François Hollande has said his government will soon announce a raft of tough criminal laws to crack down on anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia and Holocaust denial.

He made the announcements in a speech to CRIF, France’s main Jewish communal body and Israel lobby group, on Monday.

Hollande said that the Internet needed to be “regulated” to suppress videos and even search results deemed “anti-Semitic.”

The president said that the appropriate model would be the laws used to prevent the dissemination of child pornography.

But the measures are likely only to make matters worse, among other things by criminalizing criticism of Israel and further conflating Zionism with Judaism.

Discipline and punish

The plans will worry civil libertarians already concerned about the crackdown on free speech since the January attacks by three French gunmen on the offices of Charlie Hebdoand a Jewish supermarket in Paris.

Hollande said that details of the draft law would be announced in coming days by his prime minister Manuel Valls.

Hollande promised that the laws would become more punitive, so that “no anti-Semitic word or act goes without a response.”

He promised “faster” and “more effective” punishments for “words or writing that are anti-Semitic, racist or homophobic.”

Only in passing, toward the end of the half-hour speech, did Hollande mention that anti-Muslim hate attacks in France in January alone exceeded the entire number recorded in 2014.

He did not announce any specific measures to combat this alarming phenomenon.

The president observed that “Muslims are the first victims of Islamist or jihadist terrorism, whether in the Middle East or Africa,” and called for more international military intervention in those regions.

Hollande did not consider that it was “Western” interventions in Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere that gave rise to the menace known as Islamic State (for an excellent account of that, see Patrick Cockburn’s new book The Rise of Islamic State).

Conflating anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel

Hollande’s speech also confirms the direction hinted at in earlier statements that France is likely to take more measures to suppress criticism of Israel in the name of combating anti-Semitism.

The president told CRIF that anti-Semitism has ancient roots, but asserted that “a more recent source is hatred of Israel.”

But if this is the case, who decides what is “anti-Semitic”? If all anti-Israel and anti-Zionist statements will be considered anti-Semitic then hundreds if not thousands of publications in tens of languages will have to be banned by France.

Hollande shared some disturbing statistics: in 2014 there were twice as many “anti-Semitic acts” recorded as in 2013 and ten times more than before the year 2000.

Lest I be accused of “justifying” these acts, let me be clear: nothing, including Israel’s crimes against Palestinians, justifies insulting or attacking Jews as Jews.

But can it be a mere coincidence that 2014 was the year of Israel’s latest horrific massacre of Palestinians in Gaza that was fully backed by the United States and most EU members, including France?

Can it also be a coincidence that 2000 was the year the second intifada began and Israel launched a brutal crackdown that has since killed more than eight thousand Palestinians, often with weapons provided by those same states?

What is the relationship between these facts?

While Hollande insists that “hatred” of Israel is a form of, or a “source” of “anti-Semitism,” he does not acknowledge the role of Israel in generating the intense hostility sometimes misdirected against Jews.

The Palestinian national movement has always correctly insisted that its enemies are not “the Jews,” but rather Israel and the Zionist colonial movement.

Yet it is Israel that continues to insist that it acts in the name of all Jews everywhere.

It is Benjamin Netanyahu who apparently considers himself not just prime minister of Israel but the leader of world Jewry.

It is Israel that has taken the symbols of the Jewish religion – including its most recognized one, the Star of David – and affixed it to uniforms and weapons of destruction and death that are used to carry out atrocities in Palestine and Lebanon.

It is Zionists who have taken holy scriptures and claimed that they provide a license for modern day Brooklynites and Parisians to violently steal land from Palestinian villagers.

It is Israel’s government-financed settlers who torch Palestinian mosques and daub their walls with “biblical phrases.”

Violent radical Judaism?

If we can say that the horrific actions of Islamic State are a perversion of the beliefs of the vast majority of the world’s Muslims, can we also not say that Zionism is a perversion of Judaism?

CRIF insists that the Paris attacks be labeled “Islamist.” By the same logic, should we label Israel’s crimes acts of “violent radical Judaism?”

While anti-Zionist Jews, secular and religious, have always insisted that Israel and Zionism do not represent them or their religion or cultures, politicians like Hollande reinforce the false and dangerous association between Jews as Jews on the one hand and Israel’s violent racist colonialism against Palestinians on the other.

Some misguided youths, hearing these messages, may indeed believe Israel’s claim that “the Jews” are the enemies of the Palestinians and direct their anger or hatred towards Jewish targets.

They may hear the Islamophobic diatribes emanating from many right-wing and liberal supporters of Israel and also conclude – falsely – that “the Jews” are the enemies of “the Muslims.”

The message has to be clear always and is worth repeating: words or acts targeting Jews as Jews are never a form of solidarity with Palestinians.

We must be equally clear that opposing and resisting Zionism is not anti-Semitic, but a struggle for liberation for Palestinians and indeed for Israeli Jews.

Repeating history

In his address to CRIF, Hollande spoke about the “Israeli-Palestinian conflict” in the bland terms of the defunct “peace process.”

He reaffirmed France’s commitment to the fantasy of the “two-state solution,” offered to host a “peace conference” in Paris and said that no matter who won Israel’s elections next month, France would work with them “in friendship and trust.”

He offered not one single word of comfort or anger about the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza where there has been no reconstruction since Israel’s summer attack devastated much of the besieged and impoverished territory.

Hollande warned that those who do not learn from history are destined to relive it.

Yet there was not one word about accountability or justice for the Israeli war crimes that left more than 2,200 people, including more than 500 children, dead in Gaza.

Why are 1.8 million Palestinians, mostly refugees from present-day Israel, caged in Gaza under such abominable conditions in the first place?

The answer is simple: their mere existence, the fact that they live and breathe as non-Jews,is considered a threat to Israel’s self-declared identity as a “Jewish state.”

Palestinians are in a ghetto because of who they are and France’s president has nothing to say about that.

Moving right

While French leaders are doing their best to pander to the prejudices of their audience, it is doubtful it will be enough.

Education reform

In his speech, Hollande announced education reforms to reinforce the messages he gave to CRIF. But what France really needs to teach its Jewish and Muslim citizens is that contrary to Israeli claims, Israel does not represent Jews and that Israeli policies and Israeli crimes are not Jewish policies or Jewish crimes.

The irony is that it might prove more difficult to convince French Jews and French Christians of this than it is to convince French Muslims.

A very simple lesson indeed … there is no reason to offend! I will elaborate …

Recently a very dear friend presented me with a beautiful porcelain statue of Buddha from his native Sri Lanka. It was very similar to the one in the image below. I placed it on a shelf in my living room. To my surprise it offended some of my close relatives as it is forbidden by Jewish Law to possess graven images of ‘other gods’. They asked me to get rid of it and without making a fuss I placed it elsewhere where I alone can enjoy its serenity and beauty.

If my relatives in question were extremists they might have destroyed the statue and/or caused me bodily harm for possessing it. Neither happened.

Simple and to the point!

The above raises another question; why is it permissible for a devout Jew to enter, or even pray in a mosque but not a church?

Islam, like it’s brother religion Judaism, forbids images for the simple reason that the Prophet Mohammed Himself was aware that if people saw his face portrayed by people, they would soon start worshiping Him. He spoke against such images, saying “I’m just a man.”

Therefore, there are no images or statues of the Prophet in mosques, unlike many churches which prominently display images of their various Saints or of Jesus Himself.

A more comprehensive discussion as toWhy Islam forbids images of Mohammedcan be read HERE.

The Cave of Machpelah in Palestine houses the tombs of our Father Abraham and His Family. It serves both as a mosque and a synagogue.

No one but the extremists themselves benefit from extremism. We saw that after 9/11 …

We saw it from the ‘Christian’ extremists

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We saw it from the zionist extremists

… and we see it today.

Whitewashing his own crimes for the world to see

So why does Charlie continue to feed extremism, both Islamic and zionist? Satire is funny …. hatred certainly is not. Charlie has in its pages poked ‘fun’ at everyone at one time or another. That’s fine UNLESS it’s an insult and a spit in the face of millions of people throughout the world. That’s what they do when they depict images of the Prophet Mohammed in compromising or rude situations. They know it will only hurt people yet they continue to do it and plan on continuing as can be seen HERE.

Charlie Hebdo’s Next Issue to Feature Cartoon of Mohammed

The cover this week’s Charlie Hebdo shows a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed crying and holding up a “Je suis Charlie” sign.

WHY?

Surely the editors at Charlie Hebdo know that within the Muslim and zionist communities there are extremists, not as tolerant as the relatives I wrote about above. Why continue to feed them the ammunition they seem to thrive on? Was there not a lesson from the horrors of a week ago?

France is going to give Charlie Hebdo a million Euros to “support free speech” for a magazine that was on the verge of failure because nobody bought it, offended Christians and Jews, but fired one of their writers for anti-Semitism!Image by Latuff

The pages of Charlie Hebdo have been filled throughout the years with anti-Islam images. The images are so offensive that this site cannot reproduce them to show as examples. Yet, the French government granted them full ‘freedom’ to continue with their hateful publishing agenda.

Tom Lehrer performed this parody on hate years ago …. it’s valid today as an example of what I’m talking about …

Since the brutal attack at the offices of Charlie Hebdo there have been vigils throughout the world simply stating ‘I AM CHARLIE’.

That one of those murdered happened to be a Jewish ‘cartoonist’ gave call to the zionists to pull their anti-Semite card and raise the false flag to the top of the pole as can be seen HERE.

Extremism of any nature nourishes itself on hatred. Charlie Hebdo provided that ‘food’ with nearly every issue of their publication. France does not stand alone in its guilt, extremism has no boundaries.

The magazine inflamed those in the extremest camps who took what they saw as justice into their own hands. Killing sprees at supermarkets leave innocent people dead and give ammunition to the zionists and hatemongers to continue with their ‘mission’.

As one zionist stated “My explanation of the anti-Jewish outbursts by French Muslims focused on radicals wanting to participate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and picking on their French Jewish neighbors as surrogate Israelis.” Taken FROM

As stated on this site many times, NOT ALL JEWS ARE ZIONISTS!

But, that’s exactly what is happening.

And I for one J’ACCUSE CHARLIE

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The following video, sent by a loyal reader, simply explains why the Muslim Community should not apologise for other people’s crimes …

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If anyone still believes that all extremists or terrorists are only Muslims, the following is a must read …

All terrorists are Muslims? Hmm. A few of the most horrifying acts of slaughter of recent years seem to have been forgotten. They were committed by white, Christian men, but who’s counting? In that case they are always “individuals” who acted alone, mentally ill and disturbed. Anders Breivik, who killed 75 people in Oslo and Utoya Island – is he a Muslim? And the series of massacres in the United States – at Columbine High School, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and at Virginia Tech. Were all these perpetrated by Muslims?

Meanwhile, Gideon Levy receives a death threat

A menacing letter mailed to Haaretz shows that it’s not only Islamic extremists who seek to blunt press freedom with violence.

“The Court has been asked to look at the activities against Israel by Gideon Levy, journalist.

“Witness Number 1 showed the article ‘Lowest deeds from loftiest heights’ (Haaretz, July 15, 2014) … Chairman of the court: The court has been convinced that pro-Nazi propaganda has taken place. Once this has been proved, the court has no discretion whatsoever as to the verdict, therefore the above culprit is convicted to death. Given the amount of damage he created, his elimination should take place shortly. Death by ‘accident’: poison, wasps, snakes, viruses, etc.

“P.S: The Pulsa Denura court has no connection with the Israeli security systems … This court is chasing the enemies of Israel wherever they are and verdicts are carried out by the court’s execution squads … Please place this letter in several places in your offices.”

This letter, written in English, arrived last week at Haaretz, in an envelope mailed in Tel Aviv. This letter was not written by a Muslim. At the bottom was written: “Orange pips mean death.” Pips had been stuck to the other side of the letter.

A Sherlock Holmes story is called “The Five Orange Pips,” and revolves around a death-threat letter. This is not the first threat against an Israeli journalist, and not the last.

The attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine last week was preceded by death threats. The massacre came in its wake. It could happen here, too. Anyone who was shocked by the attack on the freedom of the press in France needs to examine what is happening in Israel.

The Israeli media in general does not need threats. It enlisted a long time ago, of its own freewill, to serve the narrative and kingdom; to serve the consensus, the ratings, entertainment, and make the time pleasant for its consumers. Nothing has been forced upon it from above, not by the censor and not from coercion. Just plain commercial considerations, obedience, cowardice, and a basic lack of understanding of what its job is.

Only those who dare step out of line know how great and imminent the danger is, and how much it has increased recently.

The wave of terror in France against journalists and Jews, Israel promoted in a number of ways. The usual security speculators sat in the studios and pontificated their advice to the amateurs of France. A few of them made fun of French law, which does not allow there what is done here. Others spoke about inexperience.

It is clear that these are experts who knew how to exterminate the terror in their own land, once and for all. Of course, they recommended all sorts of aggressive solutions to the French that are employed here – more forces, intelligence and assassinations.

And all of it was covered – how could it not be? – by a manifest feeling of joy that “now they will understand who we have to deal with,” and also Israel’s most popular current mantra: “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.”

All terrorists are Muslims? Hmm. A few of the most horrifying acts of slaughter of recent years seem to have been forgotten. They were committed by white, Christian men, but who’s counting? In that case they are always “individuals” who acted alone, mentally ill and disturbed. Anders Breivik, who killed 75 people in Oslo and Utoya Island – is he a Muslim? And the series of massacres in the United States – at Columbine High School, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and at Virginia Tech. Were all these perpetrated by Muslims?

No one attributed these acts to all white men, American or Norwegian. No one thought about Christian terror. And we did not say a word about the biggest spilling of blood in history, which happened not long ago, all of it purely on the enlightened continent, which then had almost no Muslims.

And the killing of journalists? It is also possible to remember that during Operation Protective Edge last summer, 13 were killed in Gaza.

The criminal terror committed by Islamic movements and individuals around the world is very worrying. It is necessary to fight it. But we also need to try to understand its intent and motives.

The attack on the press in France should also cause us to lose sleep, but we must remember what is happening in the meantime in Israel.

Here is another piece of mail I received last week, and this is not from a Muslim, either. “You spat on the People of Israel and God answered you. No child.” And nothing more needs to be said.

Yesterday morning I noticed above our local synagogue the infamous spy balloon. The Palestinian village of Issawiyah borders the neighbourhood I live in and the balloon supposedly was flying to protect the worshipers from its inhabitants. Nothing but the continued policy of promoting the fear factor in the predominantly Jewish communities of Jerusalem.

Photo credit: AP

My question is ….. Where was that balloon last night when a Jewish- Arab kindergarten in Jerusalem was torched by Judeo nazis in an apparent ‘price tag’ move against a terrorist attack in a local synagogue last week. Notice how these types of actions are referred to as ‘price tags’, where if Arabs might be involved it’s a terrorist attack ….

This is the school which was targeted ….

The concept of the school alone is a threat to the agenda of the growing fascist movement in Israel today. Coexistence and fascism CANNOT coexist!

Below is a report of the incident followed by some reactions to it …. BUT, the question remains, WHERE WAS THAT DAMNED BALLOON and why wasn’t the incident stopped before it started?

Jewish-Arab school in J’lem torched in suspected arson

Firefighters contain fire that broke out in school in capital, later find anti-Arab slogans including ‘death to Arabs’ scrawled nearby.

Firefighting teams were dispatched on Saturday to the Hebrew-Arab bilingual school in Jerusalem after a fire broke out in the building. The blaze was located in the premises of the preschool. After extinguishing the fire, the firefighters found anti-Arab slogans including “Death to Arabs”, “Kahane was right” and other phrases against Israeli-Arab coexistence nearby.

Firefighter Arik Abulof said that four firefighting teams arrived at the scene after receiving a report about a fire in the school building. “We spotted thick smoke inside the entire structure. After extinguishing the fire, (the firefighters) found graffiti outside a classroom.” Abulof said that the slogans included: “No to assimilation”, “There’s no coexisting with cancer”, and “Kahane was right.”

Shaanan Street, lead singer of popular Israeli hip hop band Hadag Nahash, whose children go to the school, expressed hope that “whoever did this act would be caught and pay for their actions.”

Kahane was right’ (Photo: Arik Abulof, Jerusalem Fire Brigade)

Shuli Dichter, director of Hand in Hand, an Israeli organization that founded five bilingual schools in Israel, including the school in Jerusalem, said in response: “This is not the first act of harassment against the school and our establishment of civil partnership. Even if they manage to dirty the walls, they won’t be able to destroy our project.”

‘Death to Arabs’ (Photo: Arik Abulof, Jerusalem Fire Brigade)

“In addition to a harsh condemnation and calls of support, we invite all of the Israeli public to join us in building civil partnership between Arabs and Jews in Israel. We will continue to develop our educational and social establishment in which 1,200 students learn every day, along with 200 teachers and thousands of family members of students who are involved,” Dichter added.

Classroom that was set on fire

Hatem Matar, chairperson of the school’s Parent’s Committee said that in contrast to previous incidents, this time the arson was carried out within the school’s premises, and caused the burning down of an entire first grade classroom.

“This act of arson was carried out by abominable creatures. We will open the school as usual tomorrow; we already arranged an alternative classroom. We will explain to the children what happened, come to school and support them. This incident can only benefit for the good, because every time people try to drag us down to negative places, we only grow stronger,” Matar added.

Education Minister Shai Piron said that incident was a “violent, criminal and despicable act that could harm and undermine the foundations of Israeli democracy. The fact that the arson took place in an educational institution that promotes coexistence constitutes a harsh blow to the fabric of relations between Jews and Arabs. The incident is particularly serious considering that the criminals chose to target the soft underbelly of Israeli society, in a preschool where innocent children learn.”

Piron called on the Israeli police to act immediately in order to “bring the despicable criminals to justice.”

Politicians condemn arson at bilingual Hebrew-Arabic school

Classes proceeded as normal at the Max Rayne Hand in Hand School, which serves more than 600 Arab and Jewish pupils from throughout Jerusalem, one day after part of the school was set on fire and spray painted with racist graffiti.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat condemned the arson, saying “we cannot let pyromaniacs and violators who take the law into their own hands ruin the routine of our lives.” He added, “we’ll continue to condemn the extremists and do all that it takes to restore the peace to Jerusalem.”

Shai Piron, minister of education, said the lighting of a bilingual school on fire was a hard hit for Israeli-Arab relations. He spoke out against the incident, calling it a “serious, violent act done to undermine the foundations of Israeli democracy,” and called on police to act immediately to bring the perpetrator’s to trial.

A Meretz representative commented, “This is a direct result of the ‘Jewish state’ bill, which gives legitimacy to harming the fabric of relations between Jews and Arabs. It is no coincidence that this violent action was against those who want to establish coexistence and equality.”

Justice minister Tzipi Livni visited the site this morning. Reacting to the vandalism on site calling for “death to Arabs,” Livni said, “we won’t let radicals set coexistence on fire.”

Barkat said that the investigation of the incident, a top priority of the district police force, is underway.

Ban Arabs from driving cars, prominent Israeli rabbi urges

Six-year-old Toleen Asfour lies in a hospital bed on 19 October after she was hit by an Israeli motorist. Five-year-old Inas Khalil was killed in the same incident near the West Bank village of Sinjil. (Shadi Hatem / APA images)

A prominent Israeli rabbi with a government-funded salary has urged that Palestinian citizens of Israel be banned from driving cars outside their towns.

“Every car is a terror institution and every gas station that provides fuel to Arab cars that travel the roads is a station that supplies weapons and ammunition,” said Elyakim Levanon, the “Regional Rabbi of Samaria” – the name Israel gives to the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

“Arab cars may not leave Arab cities,” Levanon said. “Arabs who want to do so can travel by bus. Those who use a private vehicle to attack and kill people will not travel in a car … it will take a week, two weeks, or a month until the Arab street [public] will calm down and understand that there is order in the state.”

Palestinians say that the incidents are either accidents, or acts of desperation by individuals responding to Israel’s escalating violence and colonization in the occupied city.

As The Electronic Intifada’s Rania Khalek notes, Israeli settlers have a long history of running down Palestinians with their cars. Last month, for instance, a settler rammed Palestinian schoolchildren as they made their way towards their mothers after exiting a school bus in the West Bank town of Sinjil. Five-year-old Inas Khalil was fatally injured, and another girl, Toleen Asfour, six, was left in critical condition.

But Levanon does not see Jews driving cars as a threat. And, according to NRG, his call extends to “preventing cars belonging to Arabs from leaving Arab towns in Israel” – even though the recent incidents have occurred in areas of occupied Jerusalem where Palestinians are being displaced for Jewish-only settlements.

Levanon is the official rabbi of the so-called “Samaria Region” and is based in the Jewish-only settlement of Elon Moreh near Nablus. As such, he would receive a government salary.

The Temple Mount: Israel’s tale of loons and darkness

It’s crazy to link events that might have happened thousands of years ago to the political reality of 2014.

Israeli border police officers walk in front of the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City November 5, 2014.Photo by Reuters

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Anyone who wants to track the progress Israel has made on the steep slope toward fanaticism, religiosity and backwardness must examine its relationship to the Temple Mount. Anyone who insists on labeling Israel a modern Western country can’t ignore the extraordinary change that has taken place in recent years. And anyone who still thinks this is a nonreligious society must heed the dark and insane forces that motivate it.

In no country in the West — which Israel pretends to belong to, more and more in vain — does an archeological site turn into an “existential foundation” and excuse for bloodshed. In no country in the West is holiness a matter of policy.

There’s a link between Ehud Olmert’s former bureau chief Shula Zakenand the Temple Mount: In both cases it’s a tale of darkness. It’s impossible to arrogantly laugh at the woman who held such a powerful position, who needed the advice of her psychic Ophira, and in the same breath accept the making of the Temple Mount such a key issue.

The two phenomena are equally ludicrous, though the Temple Mount version is more harmful. What until recently was a matter for crazies, the lovers of strange tales, has suddenly become a fateful issue.

Do you remember the red heifer? The coming of the Messiah and the rebuilding of the Temple have been beloved items for the editors of newspapers’ inside pages when nothing is happening, not to mention our empty-headed talking heads on afternoon television. It’s always possible to bring in some loon with a new interpretation of Jewish law on the matter.

And suddenly, a revolution: The Temple Mount has become an issue. “He who controls the Mount controls the land,” wrote a commentator with unfathomable seriousness this weekend, as if he were living in the Middle Ages.

Of course, you’re allowed to believe in anything — that on this hill the world was created, that Isaac was bound on it, that Mohammed ascended to heaven on it. But what’s the connection between all these events, which happened or did not happen 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, and the political reality of 2014?

Most Israelis have never visited the Temple Mount. They won’t now either; it wasn’t exactly at the top of their agenda.

In central Jerusalem a measure of logic has prevailed: (believing) Jews go to the Western Wall, and (believing) Muslims go to the Dome of the Rock (as far as the occupation lets them), in the name of each of their Gods. What’s wrong with that?

But the Israeli right wing’s uncontrolled lust for real estate, with its seething hatred for Arabs, of course hasn’t ignored this site either. If Shiloh is ours because it was once the “inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim,” the Temple Mount is ours because of the “Foundation Stone.”

A country in which this is the criteria for taking over land is of course a psychotic country. A society that seriously believes in such a thing and is willing to wage a violent battle over it in the 21st century is in a suicidal state.

It’s easy to blame the right-wing politicians who are instigating a war over this crazy hill, but they’re not the main ones to blame. In a society where the number of people kissing mezuzahs constantly rises, where religion and state are bound in a mixture of folklore and hatred of others, right-wing politicians know that their actions will benefit them politically.

Cynical and superficial, their cart is empty. They know that soon, if not already, a majority here will be for destroying the mosques and rebuilding the Temple. Zaken and Ophira surely have been in favor of that for a long time, but they of course are primitive and dark in the eyes of the majority — who are convinced they live in an enlightened and rational country. You know, the one that invented drip irrigation.

The JDL is a Kahanist organization that has been banned in Israel and the United States as a terrorist group. Its Canadianbranch has been implicated in a long line of vigilante violence and fear-mongering. The fact that such a piece of dreck can solicit in a respectable Jewish establishment should make us sick to our collective stomachs.

But it doesn’t. That’s because the North American Jewish community, like its Christian and atheist counterpart, is infected with the scourge of Islamophobia. I define Islamophobia in the same way I define anti-Semitism: the delegitimization of a faith and the propagation of stereotypes and prejudice against its adherents. And it is endemic in our community.

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Jewish Defense League Meets Pastrami

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The register at Ben and Izzy’s Deli in Toronto / Courtesy of Menachem Freedman

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When the news hit my Facebook feed that Ben and Izzy’s, a restaurant in Toronto, had been named “North America’s Top Kosher Deli,” I immediately packed my bags. Under the guise of visiting family, I began a pilgrimage to what shalomlife.org called “one of the best delis around.” I have to say — the pastrami was perfect, the chicken soup was superb, though the lack of celery soda seemed a bit blasphemous. But what was less appetizing was yet another reminder that the Jewish community is beautiful, vibrant, caring — but also tainted by racism and Islamophobia. It’s about time we speak out.

This sad reminder came to me at the end of my meal. Next to the register, by the charity boxes for orphanages and social programs, I saw a black box with a raised yellow fist. I nearly lost my brisket. The Jewish Defense League (JDL) is soliciting in the #1 kosher deli in North America.

The JDL is a Kahanist organization that has been banned in Israel and the United States as a terrorist group. Its Canadianbranch has been implicated in a long line of vigilante violence and fear-mongering. The fact that such a piece of dreck can solicit in a respectable Jewish establishment should make us sick to our collective stomachs.

But it doesn’t. That’s because the North American Jewish community, like its Christian and atheist counterpart, is infected with the scourge of Islamophobia. I define Islamophobia in the same way I define anti-Semitism: the delegitimization of a faith and the propagation of stereotypes and prejudice against its adherents. And it is endemic in our community.

It’s easy to find Islamophobia in fringe movements like the JDL. But it can be found in quieter forms across the Jewish spectrum. It exists in “mainstream” organizations like Aish Hatorah. Aish, which runs synagogues and youth programs across the continent, was associated withand possibly responsible for the fear-mongering “Obsession” video series that taught thousands of Jewish students and Birthright participants (as well as cadets of the NYPD) about the supposed Muslim plot to take over America with Sharia law. It exists in our synagogues, of every denomination. This Rosh Hashana, a Conservative rabbi made waves when he said five percent of the world’s billion Muslims were dangerous extremists (actually, he called them “Koran-waving, Allah Akbar-howling Muslim murderers”) and the rest were comparable to Germans who did not protest the Nazi regime. The Conservative movement has not denounced him.

Again, as figures like Bill Maher and Glenn Beck make evident, Islamophobia is not only, or even primarily, a Jewish problem. But it’s far too prevalent in a community that has historically stood at the forefront of civil rights causes on this continent. Judaism has a special relationship with Islam, as two religions that are centered around good deeds, prayer and an emphasis on charity and community responsibility. We should be the last to buy the message that Islam is a primitive, violent religion — especially when Muslim countries provided Jews a safe, though not equitable haven from thousands of years of Christian massacres.

Throughout the world, Islamophobic laws have also affected Jews. Anti-ritual slaughter legislation in Europe affected kosher meat as well as Halal. The ban on religious headgear in France and the attempted ban in Quebec targeted the kippah as well as the hijab. Anti-sharia legislation affects our beit dins (Jewish courts) and the protection of agunot (women whose husbands refuse to grant them a divorce).

In the fight against Islamophobia, Jews are not passive bystanders; we are secondary targets. We have an obligation to fight ignorance and educate ourselves about the many facets of our fellow Abrahamic faith. We have a duty to fight Islamophobia and any form of discrimination. Speaking out against baseless hatred and prejudice — well, that’s even more Jewish than pastrami on rye.

Is a research scientist working to find a cure for AIDS called an extremist?

Same question, a research scientist working to find a cure for the Ebola Virus??

The answer is NO!*

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BUT ….

Activists who are working to expose the evils of zionism are extremists according to the spokesmen of zion. Here is their definition … Of course, the definition of an ‘extremist’ is one for whom the real-world moral consequences of his or her actions are of little concern, especially in comparison to the imperative of maintaining fealty to a rigid – and often destructive – political ideology.

A Jewish settler from an illegal settlement in the Occupied West Bank who roams the streets of Jerusalem armed with a gun is not an extremist, But someone like myself who lives in Jerusalem goes out unarmed is one …. how’s that for ziologic?

A neighbour who circulated a petition recently to keep Arab children out of a local playground is not an extremist, BUT someone like myself who refused to sign it is one. (BTW, hardly anyone signed it).

An influential rabbi who recently tried to have Arab children removed from a local nursery is not an extremist, but someone like myself who campaigned against him is one.

I can give hundreds of other examples, but these are enough to get my message across.

Now for the latest attack from zion …. (First read THIS POST from last week)

Whilst it’s not clear if SodaStream’s decision to close their plant in the West Bank town of Mishor Adumim was undertaken due to pressure from BDS activists, the reaction by the BDS Movement to the company’s decision to move production of the fizzy drink makers to a new location in the Israeli Negev – placing the employment of 500 Palestinians in jeopardy – speaks volumes about the political extremism of the movement.

So, if you are involved in any way to expose, or better yet find a cure for the virus known as zionism, be ready to be labeled an extremist. Here is how they view the closure of the SodaStream plant …

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What does it say about BDS activists when the loss of 500 Palestinian jobs is a ‘victory’?

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Whilst it’s not clear if SodaStream’s decision to close their plant in the West Bank town of Mishor Adumim was undertaken due to pressure from BDS activists, the reaction by the BDS Movement to the company’s decision to move production of the fizzy drink makers to a new location in the Israeli Negev – placing the employment of 500 Palestinians in jeopardy – speaks volumes about the political extremism of the movement.

The Guardian’s Middle East editor Ian Black wrote the following on SodaStream’s relocation in an Oct. 29th column:

Palestinian activists have hailed a decision by SodaStream International, an Israeli-owned soft drink company, to close its controversial factory in a settlement in the occupied West Bank, calling the decision a victory for the campaign for boycott, disinvestment and sanctions.

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The company had defended itself as employing 500 Palestinians, along with 450 Israeli Arab and 350 Israeli Jewish citizens, and insisted that closure for political reasons would benefit no one.

But the BDS statement said: “Any suggestion that SodaStream is employing Palestinians in an illegal Israeli settlement on stolen Palestinian land out of the kindness of its heart is ludicrous.”

Naturally, neither the Guardian’s Ian Black, nor the BDS Movement, bothered to explain how the closing of a factory which employs (at wages far above the average in the West Bank) the largest number of Palestinians outside the Palestinian Authority could reasonably be characterized as a victory for Palestinians.

Indeed, additional evidence attesting to the BDS Movement’s true motivations can be found in this passage near the end of Black’s article:

It’s [the BDS Movement] statement said: “Even if this announced closure goes ahead, SodaStream will remain implicated in the displacement of Palestinians. Its new Lehavim factory is close to Rahat, a planned township [see footnote] in the Naqab [Negev] desert, where Palestinian Bedouins are being forcefully transferred against their will. Sodastream, as a beneficiary of this plan, is complicit with this violation of human rights.”

The statement is referring to draft legislation in the Knesset last year (since shelved), on Bedouin development, which would have seen some 20,000-30,000 Israeli Bedouin relocated from unrecognized and undeveloped shanty towns to officially recognized and developed towns in the Negev, including the city of Rahat. Those who moved were to receive financial compensation as well as free land.

So, the BDS statement is in effect saying that, by virtue of the fact that the new SodaStream factory will be located some 9 km from one of the towns which would become home to thousands of Bedouins (in the context of a plan to relocate Bedouin to developed), planned communities), the company is somehow “complicit” in human rights violations. Even though the company will be moving its factory to within Israel’s pre-67 boundaries, BDS will not end their anti-SodaStream campaign.

Indeed, the broader point should be familiar to anyone with even a basic understanding of the malevolence of the BDS Movement. BDS seeks the right of “Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties”, goals which undermine the fundamental right of the Jewish people to self-determination. BDS leaders have made their opposition to the continued existence to the Jewish state (within any borders) quite clear.

The promoters of the SodaStream boycott are so zealous in desire to isolate, delegitimize, and demonize Israel, that they are unburdened by the fact they’ve harmed a thriving factory, one which provides a livelihood to hundreds of Palestinian workers and has served as a rare model of co-existencebetween Arabs and Jews.

Of course, the definition of an ‘extremist’ is one for whom the real-world moral consequences of his or her actions are of little concern, especially in comparison to the imperative of maintaining fealty to a rigid – and often destructive – political ideology.

In Jerusalem, however, the majority of Palestinians are not Israeli citizens but residents of Jerusalem who fell under Israeli military occupation in 1967 but unlike West Bank Palestinians were given permanent residency cards entitling them to certain benefits.

Read the report below to see one of those ‘benefits’ …

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Young Palestinian ‘beaten by Jewish mob’ in Jerusalem hotel

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(MaanImages)

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JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A mob of Jewish men assaulted a young Palestinian on Friday evening while he was working at a hotel in Jerusalem in an attack apparently motivated by racial hate, the victim’s father told Ma’an.

Faysal Azzam told Ma’an that 11 “extremist” Jews yelling racial epithets attacked his son Muhammad, 20, at his place of work at the Rimonim Shalom Hotel in West Jerusalem.

The attackers tried to strangle the young Palestinian man, he said, and as a result the youth suffered bruises and cuts in the face and hands.

He was also left bleeding from his nose and mouth, his father added.

Azzam said that before the “extremists” attacked his son, they insulted him and shouted racist curses against Arabs.

After verbally assaulting him, they attacked him with steel bars and tried to strangle him using a piece of rope, Azzam added.

The attack took place on the 8th floor, he said, adding that his son was rescued by security guards who heard his screams from the fourth floor.

The victim was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center for treatment.

“It wasn’t just an attack, but rather a murder attempt by spiteful extremists. The signs of (attempted) strangulation are clear on his neck,” Azzam said.

The father said that Israeli police had summoned his son for questioning and he had filed a complaint against the attackers.

Cities across Israel have witnessed a string of attacks against Palestinians since early summer, as a “price tag” crime wave that targeted Palestinians inside Israel for perceived slights against Jewish settlements in the West Bank has evolved into recurring mob attacks and anti-Arab rallies.

Over the summer, Palestinian passerby have been repeatedly assaulted in majority-Jewish West Jerusalem, while right-wing Jewish campaigns to prevent mixing among Jews and Arabs have held numerous rallies and covered public areas in anti-Arab fliers.

Although the majority of Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of Israel, some Palestinians managed to remain in their villages and their descendants today make up around 20 percent of Israel’s population.

In Jerusalem, however, the majority of Palestinians are not Israeli citizens but residents of Jerusalem who fell under Israeli military occupation in 1967 but unlike West Bank Palestinians were given permanent residency cards entitling them to certain benefits.

Fifty-eight percent of Israelis define a Jew as someone who is the child of a Jewish mother, a poll conducted by BINA, the Center for Jewish Identity & Hebrew Culture revealed on Wednesday.

Ahead of the Jewish holidays and following the controversy surrounding the “conversion law”, the poll seeked to determine the public’s opinion regarding questions that have been preoccupying Israel for decades – who is a Jew?

Alarming Figures

The poll was conducted by the Geocartography research institute among a nationwide representative sample of 500 respondents – a representative sample of the adult Jewish population in Israel.

Results of the poll showed that 58% of Israelis believe that any child born of a Jewish mother is a Jew; 26% said that a Jew is “anyone who defines himself as Jewish and wishes to be considered one”.

The findings also revealed that 6% of of respondents believe that only those who believe in God and are committed to the commandments of the Torah and the Jewish law are considered Jews, while 6% think that a Jew is anyone who is involved in Jewish studies (for example out of interest or as part of an academic education). The other respondents answered: “none of the above”, “all are equally Jewish”, or “I don’t know”.

The results analysis shows that the younger part of the group is more faithful to the Jewish tradition on that particular issue than the rest of the sample group: The younger the respondent is, the more he sanctifies the Halachic criterion of the Jewish mother (they are also those who believe that every Jew should have faith in God and observe the Jewish Mitzvot).

At the same time the number of those who believe that a Jew is someone who considers himself as one, is declining. Segmentation using religious definitions indicates that 42% of secular Jews acknowledge the Jewishness of anyone who claims to be Jewish – in contrast to just 15% among conservative Jews and 3% among ultra-Orthodox Jews who would not agree with such an assertion.

Among the ultra-Orthodox Jews, 86% believe that a Jew is one who was born to a Jewish mother, in contrast to 63% conservative Jews and 43.5% secular Jews.

In the second part of the survey, the participants were presented with several possibilities that express Jewish identity and were required to choose the one to which they felt more connected; 30% chose living in Israel, usage of the Hebrew language and army service in the IDF.

Among the results, 27% of Israelis felt that Jewish culture and traditions are key aspects of Jewish identity, 18% chose observance of Jewish law, and 13% express their Judiasm by observing the Sabbath with their family.

Here too, in comparison to other respondents, the younger respondents chose less “civilian” characteristics such as IDF military service, speaking Hebrew and living in Israel as elements of their Jewish identity. They gave more weight to the Jewish mitzvoth, culture and tradition.

Among the adults the trend was just the opposite. Naturally, these patterns encompass the secular, conservative and ultra-Orthodox Jews.

BINA director Eran Baruch said that the “survey voices one of the most central ideas we believe in – that believing in god and observing the mitzvoth are not the only ways to engage in Judaism. There are various ways to be Jewish”.

“The survey shows the diversity of the Israeli public regarding its Jewish identity: nationalistic and cultural components such as language and military service along with a warm approach to the Jewish tradition such as celebrating the holidays with the family – all these serve as a central part of the Israeli Jewish identity.

“We encourage Israeli Jews – secular, conservative and ultra-Orthodox – to take an interest in Judaism in its many layers and connect to it by choice and out of identification with it.”

Current Israeli law borrows from legislation from the British Mandate period, under which the government and local authorities must publish all announcements and forms in Arabic. The new bill would annul this stipulation, as well as the use of Arabic at government ministries and in the courts.

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Right-wing MKs aim to make Hebrew Israel’s only official language

The legislators say such a law would ‘foster mutual trust in society and preserve the values of democracy.’

Knesset members from Yisrael Beiteinu, Likud and Habayit Hayehudi are pushing a bill to make Hebrew the only official language of the State of Israel.

Current Israeli law borrows from legislation from the British Mandate period, under which the government and local authorities must publish all announcements and forms in Arabic. The new bill would annul this stipulation, as well as the use of Arabic at government ministries and in the courts.

According to the bill, highway signs would still have Arabic, “and everyone has the freedom to use other languages in the private and public domains, to nurture them and teach them.”

The bill was initiated by MK Shimon Ohayon (Yisrael Beiteinu) and has been signed by two members of his party — David Rotem and Hamad Amar. High-profile right-wing MKs Moshe Feiglin (Likud) and Orit Strock (Habayit Hayehudi) are also on board.

“In most countries around the world the language of the country is the language spoken by the majority of the population. Therefore, in the State of Israel the Hebrew language has the status of the language of the country, which should be enshrined in legislation,” the MKs said in a statement.

They said such a law would “contribute to social solidarity” and help “build the collective identity necessary for fostering mutual trust in society and preserving the values of democracy.”

WOW!Pretty powerful words in that headline! I hope no one out there thought they were mine ….

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They are the ‘thoughts’ of the extreme right in Israel, who once again are extremely wrong.

Three Israeli teenagers kidnapped and murdered by Hamas were the victims of a premeditated execution by their captors, and were never meant to be used as bargaining chips to free imprisoned terrorists, according to a US official involved in the case. (FROM)

NOW READ THIS

After three weeks of Israel’s bloody war on Gaza mainly under the pretext of alleged abduction of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas, the Israeli police have acknowledged that the kidnappers were not acting under the orders of the resistance movement.(FROM)

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BUT … the extremists are still harping that Hamas was responsible as can be seen in their latest piece of dribble from Arutz Sheva ‘News’ … Israeli security forces have arrested the leader of the Hamas terror cell which kidnapped and murdered Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrah and Gilad Sha’ar. (FROM)

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They are using it as a pretext to continue the war in Gaza until Hamas is totally destroyed. The same (lack of) reasoning was used by Netanyahu himself when the first bombs were dropped. Instead of the cry of PEACE NOW, we hear PEACE NO from them ….

Tell that to the families of the 66 Israeli soldiers that died since the Israeli ground attack in Gaza. Tell that to the families of the three Israeli teens who have pleaded ‘NOT TO TAKE REVENGE IN OUR NAMES‘.

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One voice of reason from the United States ….Former US president Jimmy Carter said in an op-ed Monday that in order for the Israel-Gaza status quo to change, the international community needs to recognize Hamas as a “legitimate political actor.”

“Hamas cannot be wished away, nor will it cooperate in its own demise,” an op-ed written by Carter and former Irish president Mary Robinson said.

In THIS post from yesterday, you can read the real reasons why Israel went into Gaza …

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It was back in 1941.I was a member of a good platoon.We were on maneuvers in Lou’siana one nightBy the light of the moon.The Captain told us to ford a river.That’s how it all begun.We were knee deep in the Big Muddy,And the big fool said to push on.

The Sergeant said, “Sir, are you sureThis is the best way back to the base?”“Sergeant, go on, I’ve forded this riverAbout a mile above this place.It’ll be a little soggy, but just keep sloggin’.We’ll soon be on dry ground.”We were waist deep in the Big Muddy,And the big fool said to push on.

The Sergeant said, “Sir, with all this equipment,No man will be able to swim.”“Sergeant, don’t be a Nervous Nelly,”The Captain said to him.“All we need is a little determination.Men, follow me. I’ll lead on.”We were neck deep in the Big Muddy,And the big fool said to push on.

All at once the moon clouded over.We heard a gurglin’ cry.A few seconds later the Captain’s helmetWas all that floated by.The Sergeant said, “Turn around, men.I’m in charge from now on.”And we just made it out of the Big MuddyWith the Captain dead and gone.

We stripped and dived and found his bodyStuck in the old quicksand.I guess he didn’t know that the water was deeperThen the place he’d once before been.Another stream had joined the Big MuddyAbout a half mile from where we’d gone.We were lucky to escape from the Big MuddyWhen the big fool said to push on.

Now I’m not going to point any moral —I’ll leave that for yourself.Maybe you’re still walking, you’re still talking,You’d like to keep your health.But every time I read the papers, that old feeling comes on,We’re waist deep in the Big MuddyAnd the big fool says to push on.

Waist deep in the Big Muddy,The big fool says to push on.Waist deep in the Big Muddy,The big fool says to push on.Waist deep, neck deep,Soon even a tall man will be over his head.We’re waist deep in the Big Muddy,And the big fool says to push on.

In response to the kidnap and murder of three Zionist teens by Arabs, there has been an escalation in the level of expressed fascism among Zionists who seek revenge. On July 5th they called for gatherings throughout Israel (Palestine ’48) while expressing such sentiments as “Death to the Arabs” as well as physically assaulting Palestinian passers by.

Zionism is a secular nationalistic movement that uses and abuses Jewish religion for its own needs and is also closely linked to European fascism. It is therefore no coincidence that such expressions of ultra-nationalistic tendencies are backed by pseudo-religious arguments. Yet, as the late Prof. Leibowitz clearly explained: “Religious-nationalism is to religion what National-Socialism is to socialism. National-Socialism is not socialism but its opposite and likewise religious-nationalism is not religion but its opposite.”

Relatives and friends of Mohammed Abu Khder, 16, carry his body to
the mosque during his funeral in Shufat, in Israeli-annexed East
Jerusalem on July 4, 2014 (AFP Ahmad Gharabli)

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zionist fabricated rumors about a murdered Palestinian youth have caused even more anguish to his mourning family. Withing hours of his brutal murder (burnt alive) the lies appeared throughout the Social Media pages in an attempt to whitewash the FACT that this brutal act was an act of zionist terrorism….

In the hours after his death, rumours appeared on Twitter that Mohammed had been killed by fellow Palestinians as part of a criminal gang feud or by his own relatives in a so-called honour killing amid unsubstantiated suggestions that he was gay. His family have dismissed such assertions out of hand and insist that he had no criminal connections or history of being in trouble. (From)

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A Report of the horror from Ma’an New Agency (Make note of the last sentence in the report, the whitewashing continues via police reports)

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Official: Autopsy shows Palestinian youth burnt alive

BETHLEHEM — A preliminary autopsy report shows that 16-year-old Muhammad Abu Khdeir was burnt alive by his kidnappers, a senior Palestinian official said late Friday.

Attorney General Muhammad Abd al-Ghani Uweili told Ma’an Abu Khdeir’s autopsy showed soot in the victim’s lungs and respiratory tract, indicating he was alive and breathing while he was being burnt.

Abu Khdeir also had a head injury, but died from complications as a result of being burnt, Uweili said.

A final autopsy will be released later, he added.

The autopsy was conducted at Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Israel in the presence of Palestinian coroner Dr. Sabir al-Aloul, the director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine at al-Quds University.

Palestinians say right-wing Israelis kidnapped and killed Abu Khdeir, whose body was found early Wednesday in a forest near West Jerusalem.

The murder is thought to be a revenge attack in response to the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teens, who were buried the day before.

Immolation is a righteous form of martyrdom in Jewish tradition. Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion, tradition tells us, was murdered by the Romans for teaching Torah in violation of an edict. His punishment was to be wrapped in a sacred Torah scroll and burnt alive. The devilishly clever Romans soaked wool in water and covered his heart to prolong his agony. The trick didn’t work since, with his dying breath, he told his students in wonder that he saw the letters of the scroll flying up to heaven.

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THERE IS NOTHING SACRED OR RIGHTEOUS ABOUT ANY TYPE OF MURDER IN JEWISH TRADITION ….. “THOU SHALT NOT KILL!” …. THAT IS WHAT IS SACRED!!